Tie-clasp.



H. W. TUFTS.

TIE CLASP. APPLICATION FILED 1530.9, 1918. 1,103A55. Patented July 14, 19m

b /4 Z Zl/Z ll Z 2; l3 lb .W%W 0f.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY W. TUFTS, OF NORTH ATTLEBORO, MASSACI-IUSETTS, -ASSIGNOR T HALLAM- RICE COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A FIRM COMPRISING WALTER E.

HALLAM AND HENRY W. RICE.

TIE-CLASP.

Application filed December 9, 1913.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14:, 1914.

Serial No. soaeza I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY WV. TUFTS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of North Attleboro, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tie-Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to neck scarf fasteners or clasps, and has for its object to provide such a device with a pair of jaws hinged together by a rigid hinge member formed in a substantially V-shape, so that said jaws may be attached to the goods substantially the full depth thereof, the jaws being held normally in their closed position by a spring of substantially a"W-shape, with its middle portion bent around the'apex of the V-shaped hinge member and the ends of the spring engaging the operating end of the Y aws. A further object of the invention is to provide the arms of the hinge member with extending ends which project beyond the pivotmembers'formed thereon so as to engage the underside of each jaw of the member when the jaws are in closed position,

thereby causing thehinge member to provide a rigid support for the jaws to prevent them from rocking endwise on their pivots and insuring their jaw ends meeting squarely.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure 1- is a central sectional side elevation of my improved clasp.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig.

1 looking in the direction of the arrow, and

showing a portion of one of the jaws, also the hinge member in section and the spring removed.

Fig. 3 is the same as Fig. 2 with the spring in position and insection. Fig. 4L is a sectional end elevation on line 44 of Fig. 1 through one of the jaw members.

Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof the V- shaped hinge member showing its general construction.

Fig. 6- is a perspective view illustrating the general shape of the operating spring.

Referring tothe drawings, 10--10 designates the two oppositely disposed jaw members each being preferablyformed of sheet stock and stamped with an inwardly turned flange 11 all around its outer edge. Each member is also provided with a pair of inwardly projecting cars 12 each being an extension of the flange, said ears being pierced at 18. The inner or biting ends of these jaw members are preferably serrated or toothed and turned inward or toward each other as at 14. In order to support one end of these jaw members in spaced apart relation and mount them on pivots so that the jaw ends may be readily opened and closed I have provided a rigid hinge member 15 which is preferably formed of stiff sheet metal, its ends being forked, or a por-.

tion of the stock removed therefrom, leaving two pair of spaced apart arms 16, each arm being provided with a small laterally extending pivoting projection 17. This member isthen bent or folded at its middle into substantially V-shape and when positioned between the jaw members the apex of the V extends in the direction of the operating,

ends of said members, and its projections are sprung into the eyes 13 of'the corre-. sponding cars 12 of said jaw members, the

hinge member being thus shaped permits the goods or fabric to which the clasp is connected, to enter substantially the full depth of the jaws leaving but little, if any,

of the clasp projecting beyond the edge thereof.

A feature of this invention is that the ends 25 of the hinge member project slightly beyond the pivots 17 formed thereon, the forward extension of these ends being for the purpose ofengaging the underside of the opposite jaw members when the biting end of the jaw members are in closed position so as to provide a support for said mem bers and insure their biting ends registering or alining perfectly with each other when brought together.

An operating spring 18 is preferably made substantially in the shape of the letter W, the middle bend 19 being arranged to extend around the outside of the corresponding bend 20 of the hinge member, as illustrated in Fig. l, the intermediate portions 21 of respondswith slightly inward projecting into the opening of the hinge; member between the arms16,

the ends 22 of the spring then returned, with another bend as at 24:, and are engaged by the inwardly turned flange 23 at the operating ends of the jaw members by flange it will be noted that the spring is retained permanently in position around the hinge member.

In the assembling and operation of my improved cla'sp the arms of the hinge member are provided with pivot pintles 17 and-these arms may be sprung toward each other sufficiently to permit the pintles to enter the eyes of the joint ears on the jaw members. Then the W-shaped spring is forced into position by simply forcing it over the V-shaped hinge member until its ends 22 spring inside of 'thei flange 28, whereby it is positioned and retain-edtherein by the simplestpossi-ble op-' eration. By forming this spring in the shape of a letter'W its middle portion cormember, and is shaped to extend around the same,- thereby permitting the goods to. be inserted between the jaws substantially to the fulldepth thereof, and the outer ends of" the spring engage the corresponding ends of the f members having its operating end turned inward forming an end flange and also provided with inwardly projecting plerced pivoting cars, a V-shaped hinge member having a rigid middle portion and having spaced apart arms each provided with a laterally extending pivoting projection each entering the opening in a corresponding ear on said members, spring around the middle of said hinge member with its intermediate portions extending into the space between said arms, and the ends of I iioi i his patent may be which that of the V-shaped hinged thereby exerting the1r' maximum pressing effect to normally hold and a substantially W-shaped" having its middle portion folded 1 obtained for ive cents Washington, I). 0.?

said springengaging and being retained by the flanged operating ends of said jaw members to hold'their biting ends normally closed position. 3; A clasp comprising 'a' v shaped" hinge member having laterally extending'pivoting projections, a pair of jaw members pivoted on, said projection, the ends of said members ,being arranged to engage and rigidly support said jaws when their biting ends are in Contact, and aspring having a portion fold- 'ed' over the'apeX of said V-shaped member and its ends engaging the operating ends of said jaws to. hold their biting. end-s: normally closed. v

4Q A clasp. comprising a rigid substantially v shaped hinge member having pin-r: tles extending laterally therefrom, a pair of jaw members pivotally mountedon: saidpin' ties, the apex of said hinge member being disposed away from the gripping'ends of said jaws whereby said jaws engage the goods throughout their length and: the ends of said hinge member extending-beyond the pintles and engaging the underside oft-said 3 jaw members for. rigidly supporting; said: j aws, when theirf biting ends are; .incontact, 7 l a spring. for normally holding the biting ends of'saidj-aws normally closed,.and means on said jaw members for retaining the ends of said spring. i

j 5. A -clasp. comprising "a; rigidqsubstan tially V-shaped hinge member havingspaced apart arms each having a pintl'e,-:a.p'air' of jaw members 'pivotally mounted on saidf pi-n tles, and a substantially W-shaped: sprin having .its middle fold extending around that of said hinge member with its ends-en gaging the operating ends ofsaid jaws:

6'. A clasp comprising aipair of jaws'each having its operating end turned'inward' forming an end flange and alsoprovided with inwardly projecting pierced pivoting ears, a V-shaped hinge member havingarigid middle portion and having. spaced apart arms each provided with a laterally extending pivoting projectioneach entering the opening in a corresponding ear on said jaw members, and a substantially-W+shaped spring having its middle portion folded around the mid dle of said hinge member and its ends engaging said-jaw members. I In test1mony whereof I aifixmy signature in presence of two witnesses. v

. HARRYW. TUFTs j Witnesses:

HOWARD E. BAnL'ow, g E I. OGDEN. v 1 i each, by addressing the Commissionerof'lfitentfi. 

